HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.6 April 20, 1995
To: Planning Commissioners
From: Dot Schreiner
Status of Color Board Review
For our Public Hearing on April 26th, a summary of our discussions on the Color Board
is as follows:
The text of our recommendation to the City Council will include the following:
The Site Development Policy Statement adopted by the City Council October 16, 1991,
says "The Town will make sure - by means of landscape requirements, siting, grading,
limitation of exterior materials and colors, limitation of size, and the possible
requirement for one story homes of low profile or horizontal design - that buildings are
unobtrusive when viewed from off the site.
The Town will make every effort to see that buildings do not dominate the natural
landscape."
The first paragraph of the policy also states that the standards set forth in the
ordinances are minimum standards and that the Council and Planning Commission
have the duty and the obligation to set stricter standards in individual cases so that the
purposes of the ordinances are compiled with.
The Color Board was adopted in 1986 by the Planning Commission as a guide for
applicants in choosing earthtone, low reflective paint color for new construction.
The need for updating the Board is that the colors no longer reflect existing paint
colors in local stores. The chips on the Board are faded, some have been lost, and the
hues and shades of today are different. We have been getting pink and orange
houses.
Using light reflective values present a scientific way to judge color; hence our
recommendation for their use.
Our original recommendation at an earlier meeting was to use a Iry of 40 for all new
construction. After research in the field, many of you felt the number to be too low, and
the recommendation now is to use no more than Iry of 50 and perhaps a cut off at the
bottom on the scale, of no color less than 10. Higher values result in a 7,000 sq ft.
house appearing off white when viewed off site, less than 10 might make it look black.
Also all paint samples should be evaluated in the field. Swatches should be painted
on the newly con tructed homes. Size of the swatch should be determined by the
staff.
All restoration of historical sites are exempt.
Trim valuation and roof color should be discussed once again to see if we can come
up with a recommendation. I refer you to the attached memo from Portola Valley.
All the samples o color chosen will be available at the meeting. The Iry will be on
each chip.
/00 s<1
Dot Schreiner
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Town Hall and Offices:765 Portola Road, Por41iVal eeYCA 94028 Tel: (415)851.1700 Fax:(415)851.4677
December 2,1994
MEMORANDUM
To : Planning Commission
From : George Mader,Town Planner
Subject : Proposed Changes to Design Guidelines
As a part of Phase II of the Design Standards Rereview,certain changes to the Design Guidelines
pertaining tQ reflectivity of colors and materials,and ranges of colors were discussed. The
following proposed changes to the Design Guidelines have been recommended by the town
council for public hearing. The Design Guidelines are a policy document,not a regulation. A
such,they are an advisory document used by the ASCC in reviewing and acting on applications
for development. They are not a part of the zoning ordinance.
It is recommended that the proposed changes be discussed at the December 7 planning
commission meeting and then contizraed to the January 4 meeting.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES
Revise wording in the Design Guidelines under the section Additional Design Concepts,as
follows:
Colors as d Materials •
* Use colors and materials that blend with the natural environment. Accordingly,colors
shou:.d be selected which can be found in the natural environment of the site and
surroundings.The objective is to make structures virtually indistinguishable from the
site when viewed from a distance, Light colors and colors foreign to the natural
envir3nment are not consistent with these guidelines.
* Colors on all but trim should have a reflectivity value that does not exceed 40% (or
30%?). Trim colors should have a reflectivity value that does not exceed 60% (this needs
further study).
•
* Do nct use highly reflective finishes and materials.
* Concrete driveways visible from off-site should be darkened to blend with the natural
environment.
•
cc Ellen Schillig
Sherrod Davis
Susan Whelan _-_- .
Gary Nielsen
Richard Merk Post-It'”Fax Note7671 Date / A,"�ys/.-P®Se's/. /
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Phone# ltd, r Phone# _
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